Little Wonders
by fanwriter1245
Summary: Maddy's been living with Mr. Summers for the past few years. When he brings home a young man called Bobby, he and Maddy quickly become close friends. As time goes on, Maddy begins to feel drawn to him as he helps her come to terms with her past. But when the three of them go to confront Bobby's cruel stepfather, none of them are prepared for what happens. BobbyxOC
1. Bobby

**Well, considering that I had to request for this category to be added, and the fact that this movie is old and obscure, I'm going to bet that not a lot of people are going to read this. I'm uploading it anyway. My best friend and I watched this movie last week and we absolutely loved it (I mean, we may be a little biased because Christian Bale was in it :D), but it was a beautiful but very, very sad film.  
**

**This was one of the hardest things I've ever had to write because the story was so sad. Literally, I cried three times while writing this.**

**I didn't plan on writing a fanfiction for it, but when I went back and looked at it, I just couldn't resist adding my own character. Because I had to return the movie to Netflix, I had to write this in two days, and then I spent five nights in a row editing it. I think this may just be one of my fluffiest pieces. It also might be my favorite fanfiction that I've written thus far, but I'm not sure because I really, really like my Phantom of the Opera and Batman one. You can be the judge.**

**I've posted a trailer for this fanfiction on Youtube! Just search my channel, aspringsinger15, and you can watch it there.**

**Enjoy! :D**

* * *

_Let it slide,_  
_ Let your troubles fall behind you_  
_ Let it shine_  
_ Until you feel it all around you_  
_ And i don't mind_  
_ If it's me you need to turn to_  
_ We'll get by,_  
_ It's the heart that really matters in the end_

_~Rob Thomas (Little Wonders)_

* * *

Maddy Bowman was a 22-year-old woman who had been living in a little cabin in the forest for well over five years. She lived with Mr. Summers ever since he saved her life, and he had become a sort of father figure to her. On some days, he would go out and do his work, and she would stay behind in the cabin and tidy up or fix him some dinner for when he got back. He usually didn't get back until very late, so she didn't see him until it was quite dark outside.

At first, she had found his work rather odd but over time, she learned to appreciate what he did for the little animals.

On other days, she would join him out on the roads and help him with his work. It pained her to see the beautiful creatures in such a state, but it warmed her to see how gentle Mr. Summers was with them.

Maddy was a very beautiful woman. She had black wavy hair that flowed down to the middle of her back like a waterfall. Most of the time she wore half of it pinned up to keep it out of her eyes as she worked. She always wore jeans, a form-fitting t-shirt, and a pair of sneakers or flip-flops. She had a tiny physique, earned from learning to live on small portions of food and her constant working.

She also had an absolutely beautiful smile. Small little dimples sat on her cheeks when she smiled. She could brighten up anyone's day with a quick flash of her pearl white teeth.

The sun had dipped below the horizon hours ago, and Maddy knew that Mr. Summers would be back within a couple hours. She had dinner ready for the both of them and was just about to set the table so he could relax as soon as he got in.

She was cleaning up some dishes she had used to prepare the meal when she heard the door open.

"Hey, I was just—"

She stopped as she saw that there was a boy with Mr. Summers, walking in behind him. He wore a gray sweatshirt and his clothes had mud caked on them. There was a long scar along the side of his face. He was nervously chewing on his sweatshirt string as he walked into the cabin. He looked so beautifully innocent. Maddy had to admit that he was actually kind of cute.

She gave the boy a very kind small smile. "Who's this?"

"This is Bobby," Mr. Summers answered.

Maddy dried her hands on a towel and went over to him. "Hi, Bobby! I'm Maddy!" she said as she extended her hand.

Bobby shyly took her hand. "Hi," he said quietly.

Mr. Summers took his coat off and laid it on his bed. "Do you want some supper, boy?" he asked Bobby. "I believe Maddy has made us something to eat."

"Yes, please," Bobby answered.

"Well, I guess I'll be setting an extra place then," Maddy smiled. "I've prepared a bit of salad and pasta." While she put some salad in the bowls and some noodles on the plates, she noticed Bobby walking around the cabin looking at all of their little knick-knacks. He bumped into one of the lanterns and Maddy giggled quietly to herself.

Mr. Summers walked over to her and said quietly out of earshot of Bobby, "He's a bit slow. But that doesn't mean you treat him any different."

Maddy looked at him and nodded. "Of course."

"Wash your hands, and sit down, boy," Mr. Summers ordered gently. Bobby went over to the water basin and then dried his hands before he sat down on the table. Maddy took the plates and bowls and handed them to the men. "We're, uh, both vegetarians," she told Bobby. "Don't worry, I've learned to make some pretty good meals without using meat."

"That's alright," Bobby said quietly.

Maddy smiled. It was so cute when boys were shy.

They sat and ate their meal together mostly in silence, but Maddy was used to it. Mr. Summers rarely talked to her while he ate, and Maddy didn't question it.

When they finished eating, Maddy cleared the dishes and began to wash them. Bobby rested his head down on the table and appeared to be sleeping for a little while. He moved his head when Mr. Summers got the cheese from the cabinet and began breaking it and putting it on the floor like he did almost every night.

"What's that for?" Bobby asked.

"The cheese? It's for the mice," Mr. Summers answered. "When the mice are finished, the cockroaches come and eat what's left. It's nature's way!" He went to the cabinet and got a bottle of whiskey and poured himself a glass.

"Do you feed the mice every night?"

"Every night that I'm here. If I'm not here, Maddy usually feeds them. If I feed them, they don't steal from us. People usually kill mice when they don't want them to steal. But I feed them."

Bobby rubbed his hair with the hand his head rested on, and his eyes began to droop.

"Well, I think it's time you went to bed," Mr. Summers said, sensing Bobby's fatigue. "You can sleep there for tonight." He pointed over to the bed on the wall. Mr. Summers always kept an extra bed for travelers who needed a place to rest their heads. He didn't extend hospitality very often, but they had had one or two people stay in the cabin with them only for a night or two.

Bobby stood up from the table and sat on the bed as he removed his shoes. Then he pulled his hood up over his head and lied down. Mr. Summers took the blanket from under his feet and spread it out over top of Bobby. Maddy smiled at his fatherly touch.

"Thanks," Bobby said quietly. "Good night, Mr. Summers. Good night, Maddy."

"Good night, Bobby," Maddy smiled.

"I'll put the lights out now," Mr. Summers said. He blew out most of the lanterns, but left one on for him and Maddy.

Maddy continued to finish washing the dishes they had all used while Mr. Summers sat at the table.

Only a couple minutes later, quiet squeaking was heard.

"Mr. Summers. Maddy," Bobby whispered. "Look! It's the mice! It's the mice!"

Maddy saw that several mice were eating the cheese Mr. Summers had put on the floor earlier.

"I used to have a pet mouse. He was this beautiful black and white mouse called Peter. He was so tame, he'd sit right in my hand! If Peter was here, these mice might've made him king or something."

Maddy couldn't help but smile at his innocence.

"I would like to hear more about that mouse of yours sometime," Mr. Summers whispered. "Right now, I think you should get some sleep."

Bobby smiled and closed his eyes.

"You too, Maddy."

"I haven't finished the dishes yet."

"They'll still be there tomorrow. You need to get some rest."

Maddy dried her hands and headed over to her own bed. "Good night," she said quietly.

"Night."


	2. The Lepidopterist

Maddy awoke to the sound of quiet rustling. She looked over and saw Bobby sitting up and putting his shoes on.

"Sorry," he said as he looked over at her, noticing her eyes were open. "Did I wake you?"

Maddy smiled and shook her head. "No." She stretched out her muscles while Bobby went outside.

She finished washing the dishes from last night and then stood out on the porch. There she saw Bobby lying on the grass with his eyes closed, as if he was soaking in the sun's rays and the fresh air. He let little bugs crawl on his fingers and watched them intently.

"Bobby!" she called. "I've got some breakfast for you!"

He sat up and walked in.

"It's not much. Breakfast is usually rather small. It's just a little bread and butter."

"Thank you, Maddy," he said as he took the bread.

"You're welcome."

When he finished his bread, he went back outside and resumed his position in the grass. He must've stayed that way for well over three hours. She was so curious as to what went through his mind as he lay there, watching the little creatures scurry about.

Mr. Summers soon appeared carrying a sleeping bag and a parcel.

"Where have you been?" Bobby asked.

"I've been into town, shopping. Got a few things for you. Come in, I'll show you."

Mr. Summers placed his items on the table. He opened it up and began to take out its contents.

"So, then, I got you some boots, and a sleeping bag. And a knapsack of your own. A thermos, a trowel for digging, and a toothbrush."

Bobby went to go take his new items over to the bed when Mr. Summers stopped him and handed him a little box. He placed his things down and began to open it. What sat inside was a pocket knife with multiple tools attached to it.

"Oh, brilliant!" Bobby exclaimed. "I've always—thanks for everything, Mr. Summers, but I've always really wanted one of these knives!"

Maddy smiled at his excitement. He was like a young child on Christmas morning opening up all the presents under the tree.

He got up to give him a hug, but Mr. Summers squirmed out of it. Maddy almost laughed at how uncomfortable he was at the small sign of affection. "It's not a big town, but the shops are good because of the holiday-makers and the tourists, you see."

"Bobby, I go to the shops quite often to get some food, so if you ever need anything, just let me know, and I can get it for you," Maddy told him.

"Alright. Thank you."

"I'll make us some lunch, and then I'll let the both of you get started."

"I actually want you with me on this one, Maddy," Mr. Summers said.

"Oh?" Maddy went through the cabinets getting together some cheese and crackers. "What for?"

"We've got the lepidopterist to deal with."

"Oh, no. Him again?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so."

The two of them had been to that house before, but it seemed he had not let his previous encounter with them stop him from doing his "work."

Bobby changed into some other clothes that Mr. Summers leant him, since the ones he was currently wearing were quite dirty, and went out to the porch to sit next to Mr. Summers. Meanwhile, Maddy gathered up all the dirty clothes and put them in a bin so she could clean them tomorrow after their business that night was finished.

"What does the lepidopterist do with the dead moths?" Bobby asked.

"He sticks pins in them, boy," Mr. Summers answered. "Keeps them in cases with glass tops. He collects them, thousands of them."

"Why does he have to kill them? Why can't he look at them when they're alive?"

"He kills them because he sees nothing wrong with killing them. Also, they're very easy to catch…and kill."

"How does he do it, Mr. Summers?"

"You'll see, boy. You'll see tonight."

After Mr. Summers gathered all his tools, the three of them began their hike to the lepidopterist's house. By the time they got there, the sun had disappeared from the sky leaving the stars in its wake. They crouched down in the bushes and watched as he lit a very bright lamp and immediately started attracting all kinds of different insects.

"What's that he's got?" Bobby asked.

"It's a deceitful machine," Mr. Summers whispered. "It's a light so bright that all moths and insects are attracted from miles around, tricked by the light, you see?"

They continued to watch as the small net over the light trapped hundreds of insects at a time.

"We're gonna put his light out!"

"How?"

"Smash it, boy! Smash it! Maddy and I have been here once before, and we've smashed it once before."

"Is it part of the work?"

"Yes."

"Can I do it?" Bobby asked excitedly.

"What? I don't know."

"Please?"

"He would be faster, Mr. Summers," Maddy told him. "And it would give him a chance to prove himself."

"All right. Why not? You're right, Maddy." He took a rock from his bag and handed it to Bobby. "Take this stone. Run as close as you dare, and throw it right in the center. Throw it as hard as you can! Smash it! Think you can do that?"

"Yeah, I can do that."

"Good."

They waited a little bit before Mr. Summers gave him the cue to go. Bobby ran out of the bushes and towards the light. He stopped about halfway and looked at the man sitting in the chair and the deadly light as if he was just as entranced with the light as the bugs were.

"Run! Do it!" Mr. Summers called.

"You can do it, Bobby!" Maddy urged.

Bobby ran the rest of the way and completely smashed the light. More people came out of the house and Bobby turned and ran back to the bushes.

"Good boy," Mr. Summers whispered.

"They're sending the dog again," Maddy told him. "Give me the meat."

Mr. Summers took a lump of meat out of his bag and put it into her hand. Maddy went over to where the dog was headed.

"Mr. Summers!" she heard Bobby whisper. "Mr. Summers!"

"Shh, it's me! Hurry, boy, hurry!"

"What about the dog?"

"Don't worry about him! Look!"

They both watched as the dog ate the meat out of Maddy's hand. She scratched him behind the ears and he occasionally licked her face.

"You're a good boy, aren't you?" she laughed. "Are they working you too hard? Yeah. But you are a good boy. Yes, you are." She looked up at the boys with a smile.

"Come on, Maddy."

Maddy stood up and took the dog's collar. "Come on, boy. Come on. Go on. Good boy!"

The dog ran back up to the house after licking her palm clean.

"I told you we've been here before!"

The three of them ran far enough away from the house before any of its inhabitants could catch them.

"Did I do it right?" Bobby asked.

"Yes, Bobby. I have to say you did it very right. How do you feel?"

"I feel fine! A bit tired, but really I'm fine!"

The three of them laughed together and headed back to the cabin.

* * *

Every day after that, Maddy fed the men breakfast and then they headed out to walk up and down on the roads and bury the animals along the way. She would stay behind and wash the clothes and tidy up the cabin. She would always have dinner waiting for them when they returned and Bobby would talk to her about what they had encountered. She loved listening to him talk about his day with such excitement. It was something Mr. Summers had never done with her. Seeing Bobby so excited about what he did was such a refreshing change of pace.

One night, after Mr. Summers went out for a little while, Bobby sat on his bed reading one of Mr. Summers's books while Maddy cleaned the dishes from dinner. She began to sing quietly to herself as she went on with the chore.

"You have a very pretty voice," Bobby told her.

Maddy blushed. She didn't really like singing in front of people and sometimes just did it absent-mindedly until someone pointed it out. "Thank you."

"Go on, sing some more," he said with a wide smile.

She giggled awkwardly. "You don't want to hear me sing," she laughed.

"No, I do. Sing for me."

Maddy sighed and resumed singing as she continued to clean. When she looked over at Bobby, she saw she had his eyes closed and a smile on his face.


	3. Bobby's Story

"Mr. Summers," Maddy said, taking a seat next to him at the table late at night after Bobby was asleep. "I'm curious. You weren't too keen on me living here with you. So what made you want to take him in?"

Mr. Summers sighed. "There was an accident. He was riding in a huge truck with a man. Where he was headed, I don't know. But the man attempted to run over a beautiful fox, and Bobby's attempts to get him to stop caused the truck to flip off the side of the road, killing the driver. Bobby was unharmed, but the rabbit the truck had hit wasn't. I picked it up and went to go bury it. That's when I found him."

* * *

_Bobby was a bit in shock. He had just witnessed someone die in front of him. He didn't believe he was to blame though. It was the man's own fault for trying to hurt such a beautiful creature._

_"You're supposed to bury dead people," he said to the man beside him._

_"His own kind can do that," Mr. Summers answered harshly. "I have other work." He paused and looked at the boy in front of him. "How old are you, boy?"_

_The boy looked at him with wide eyes. "I'm 24."_

_"24? Not yet eighteen, I shouldn't wonder."_

_"No, I'm 24! It's not fair! Everybody always thinks I'm younger, but I'm a man! I just feel like a boy."_

_Mr. Summers laughed at his words and went to continue his work. Behind him, he heard the boy come closer and watch what he did. He went out to a nice grassy area and dug a hole. Then he gently laid the rabbit down into the hole and covered it with the grass. Bobby watched him intently, wondering why he went to so much trouble to take care of the animals found on the road._

_Mr. Summers put his bag back over his shoulders and walked away, allowing the boy to follow him. Over the course of the walk, he explained to Bobby why he buried the rabbit and what he did with his life, going around and burying the animals._

_He did lose his temper once with the poor boy, under the belief that he was just like everyone else and hit animals with his car every now and then, but Bobby insisted he couldn't drive. Bobby began to cry at his outburst, but Mr. Summers calmed him down and took him to a nearby place for some tea._

_They drank from their mugs in silence for a little while before Bobby asked, "Can I come with you?"_

_"Come with me? Where to?"_

_"You know, where—where you're going. Where you live. To stay with you."_

_Mr. Summers was in shock. "To stay? Of course not! You can't come with me!" He had already taken in one person, and he didn't think he could handle another. "No, I think it's time you went home, or wherever it is you were going!"_

_"I can't go home. I've run away."_

_This was so similar to when he found Maddy. Although her situation had been much dire. "I can't take you with me! It's out of the question! I've got work to do." At least Maddy helped out at the cabin and didn't interfere. He wasn't sure this boy could do the same._

_"But I could help you with the work! I wanna help you!"_

_"That's no good, boy! I don't know you!" He hadn't known Maddy either and yet he'd still taken her in. He was really having a hard time picking a side. "And you say you've run away?" Bobby nodded. "Well, that's not good! People might come looking for you. I can't be dealing with that!" No one would look for Maddy. She had been certain of that and it was partially why he allowed her to stay. It was mostly her story that won him over. What was this boy's story?_

_"But I could help you with your digging! I could carry your things for you!" Bobby insisted._

_"Are you simple or something? I said no! No, no, no! Listen, I've already got someone with me, and that was a hard enough decision as it was. I can't afford to take in any more people! Now go away, go home!"_

_Bobby slammed his cup on the ground. "I wanna shine a shoe!" he exclaimed in tears. "I never have anything to do!" His fists hit the ground over and over again and he began sobbing. _

_Mr. Summers looked at him in surprise. He poured out his drink and went over the crying boy. "Hey, it's alright. Come on." He gently turned the boy over._

_"Please can I come? I've got nowhere to go!" he begged._

_Mr. Summers took a deep breath. So much like Maddy. "Do you really want to help with the work?"_

_"Yes. Please."_

_"…Do you like animals?"_

_"I love animals!" He slowly stood up again. "So can I come?"_

_Mr. Summers didn't respond for a while. He had taken in Maddy, so how could he say no to this boy now, especially when their cases were so similar? "I suppose so. I mean, if you really want to come."_

_"Yeah!" he nodded eagerly. "Thank you. You're a very nice man." He went to hug him, but Mr. Summers did not allow it. He was not one for human contact. Even with Maddy._

_The two of them took the long trek back to his cabin. There was a warm glow and a beautiful aroma coming from the cabin, welcoming them inside. No doubt Maddy was cooking for them._

_They walked in and he introduced Bobby to Maddy._

_Bobby looked at the girl in front of him. She was overflowing with so much joy and happiness that she reminded him a lot of his mother. And she was absolutely beautiful._

* * *

The summer continued on and things went the same. Because it was summertime, more people started flocking on the roads to go to the beaches or visit with relatives which resulted in more deaths on the road. Mr. Summers would come back with an almost empty whiskey bottle, trying to drown his sorrows about all the animals in the drink. He complained greatly about the people in the cars, but never once lost his temper with Bobby or Maddy.

On one day, rain poured out from the sky and forced the boys to stay in for the day. They took to playing a card game or two and Bobby told Maddy stories about certain adventures they had had while working. He was really starting to grow on her. It's not that she disliked him in any way when she had first met him, it's just that she was now really getting to know him and grow closer to him. They had become very good friends.

It was almost strange to her that he was two years older than her. He looked and acted much younger. Then there were times when he seemed so much older and more mature than a lot of men she had met in the past.

It was a few days later after breakfast and before the men had set out for work when Bobby came up to Maddy.

"Maddy, will you come with us today?" Bobby asked her.

Maddy laughed. "I have work here waiting for me."

"Please? You haven't come with us at all since we went to the lepidopterist's."

"Well…if it's alright with Mr. Summers, I'll go."

Mr. Summers came back into the cabin a couple minutes later.

"Mr. Summers," Bobby said. "Can Maddy come with us?"

"I don't see why not," he answered.

"He said you can come!" Bobby said to Maddy.

Maddy smiled at him. "Alright, let me get my bag together!"

The three of them headed to the roads that went along the beaches. When they got to a hill that overlooked the road, they saw trucks and cars and lots of people in bathing suits who were there to enjoy the cool water.

"Oh, I made a mistake," Mr. Summers said. "We don't want to be involved in all this. Come on, you two."

"But it would be nice to get an ice cream, wouldn't it?" Bobby said.

"All right. Come on." He took some money out of his pocket and started counting it. "Do you want one, Maddy?"

"No, thanks, I'll pass."

Mr. Summers gave Bobby some money to get an ice cream for himself. "Don't be long. You know I don't like the beach with the holiday people there. We'll wait for you here."

"Okay. Thanks, Mr. Summers. I won't be long!"

Maddy's maternal instincts kicked in and she went to the hill that overlooked the land below just to make sure he was okay. He seemed to be doing fine, so she started fiddling with her bag, trying to make it so that it was more comfortable on her back.

When she looked back up, she saw Bobby with a man. As soon as she looked down on the scene, he took off running. Something was wrong.

"Bobby?"

"What's wrong?" Mr. Summers asked from the rock he was sitting on.

"He's…he's running. Away from someone, I think. He's not going the right way. He's gonna get lost. I'm going to go get him. Meet us back at the cabin."

"Are you sure about all this?"

"Yes, I am. I have to go before he gets too far."

Maddy took off in a sprint attempting to follow the path Bobby had taken. She didn't know why he had run away, or why he had gone in that direction. What she did know is that she had to find him before he got hurt.

Maddy paused for a second in order to catch her breath, and then took off again. After quite a bit of running, she had lost him. She attempted to follow the marks left in the dirt by his shoes. It took some time, but eventually she found him wandering through the woods.

"Bobby!" she called, relieved that he was unharmed.

He frantically turned around, and she guessed whoever that man was had made him on the edge.

"Hey, hey," she said soothingly. "It's okay! It's alright! It's just me!"

He took a deep breath and visibly calmed down.

"Are you alright?"

He nodded at her, but said nothing.

"Everything's okay. I know the way back from here. Let's go back to the cabin."

They slowly walked back in silence. Maddy wanted to ask him about who that man was, but thought against it. He was already shaken up and asking him about it would only make it worse.

It was nightfall when they finally made it back.

"Mr. Summers!" Maddy called. "We're back!"

"Bobby, are you alright?"

Bobby once again nodded, but remained silent.

"I'll fix you something to eat, okay?" Maddy said.

Bobby ate in silence and went to bed without another word.

There was a change in him over the course of the next week or so. He seemed sadder and weighed down. He talked a lot less and didn't share stories with Maddy as much anymore. She hadn't realized just how much she enjoyed listening to him tell her about his day until he didn't do it anymore.

One day when Bobby sat at the table drawing while Maddy and Mr. Summers cleaned up, he said, "Mr. Summers, I've got something to tell you."

"Would this 'something' have anything to do with the day you got lost on the beach?"

Bobby looked up and nodded. "Yes, it would."

Mr. Summers and Maddy took a seat at the table.

"But it's not just that. It's my whole story. You wouldn't understand unless I tell you my whole story." He took a deep breath, and Maddy realized that this was going to be hard for him to tell them. "That man was…Mr. Whiteside is his name."

For hours, Bobby told them his life story, and Maddy could feel her heart tear just a little more with each part of it he told. He explained what happened on the beach and just who that man had been. Then he went to the beginning of his story and told them about his mother, a beautiful woman who owned a lovely store. It had been in trouble financially, but a man showed up and took care of everything. They married and it just went downhill from there. He was verbally abusive to the both of them until his mother's heart could literally not take it anymore. The man, whom Bobby referred to as The Fat, wanted Bobby to sign over the rights to his mother's store, but Bobby had refused to do so. When he did not sign, The Fat threatened to put him in a mental hospital unless he signed the papers.

He told them about his pet mouse, Peter. Each day, he would take Peter out of his cage and hold him and feed him. After his talk with The Fat, he went to go find Peter and learned that The Fat had killed him. He had been so scared of him in that moment. Bobby had gone to bury Peter and after that, he left and never came back. He hitchhiked for a long while before Mr. Summers found him.

Then he explained to them that he had been hit by a car when he was younger, and he wasn't exactly completely right ever since then. That explained the scar on his head and why he was a bit slower than other people.

Because of his mental illness, he had had tutors come privately to his home to teach him so he never went to school. He saw lots of nurses all the time who came to take care of him since the accident. There was one nurse who was a bit nicer than the others, but still acted like it was a burden to have to check on Bobby all the time.

When he finished his story, quite a long time had passed.

"Do I have to go away now?" he asked quietly.

Mr. Summers looked at Maddy who had five emotions going on in her eyes, but sadness took over. She couldn't believe someone as beautifully innocent and kind as Bobby had been through so much.

"No, Bobby," Mr. Summers said. "You don't have to go away."

"Can I keep on with the work?"

"Yes."

"Can I live here with you two?"

Mr. Summers once more looked at Maddy, silently looking for her approval. She gave him a small nod, and he said to Bobby, "Yes, you can."

"Mr. Summers…I love you."

Maddy allowed herself a small smile at his gentle words. Her mind was reeling as she tried to take in all that Bobby had told them. Mr. Summers put his hand over Bobby's in a fatherly way.

"But I'm worried about—about—Mr. Whiteside might…tell The Fat that I'm in this part of the country. He might try to look for me."

"I've already told you that you can stay. I'm more bothered about the effect all this has had on you."

Maddy couldn't handle it anymore. "I…I'm going out for a bit." She hastily stood up from the table and rushed out the door before anyone could say anything.

She stayed outside taking slow steps for a very long time. It had passed nightfall when she finally returned. Mr. Summers was not there, and she guessed that he had needed some space too.

"Are you alright?" Bobby asked her.

"Yes, I'm fine," she answered quietly. "Today was just…a lot to process."

"I'm sorry."

"No. Don't apologize, Bobby. Don't ever apologize for what happened to you."

Bobby took his shoes off and got under the blanket on his bed. "Maddy, will you sing to me?"

"Bobby…I don't really like singing in front of people."

"You did before."

"Yes, but it was difficult for me."

"Please?"

She looked over at his beautiful puppy eyes. She figured that since he poured out his entire life story to her earlier, he deserved a little something from her. "Alright."

Bobby closed his eyes and waited for her to start. Maddy sang an old Welsh lullaby she had once learned:

_Huna blentyn ar fy mynwes_

_Clyd a chynnes ydyw hon;_

_Breichiau mam sy'n dynn amdanat,_

_Cariad mam sy dan fy mron_

Maddy sang the song softly to him and when she reached the end, Bobby was asleep.

"Good night, Bobby," she said quietly.

Maddy sighed and went to her own bed to sleep and try to forget about how The Fat had made his life a living hell.

* * *

**The lullaby Maddy sings to him is called Suo Gan, most famously used in the film, Empire of the Sun, which also stars Christian Bale :)  
**


	4. Bonding

After telling Mr. Summers and Maddy his story, Bobby was back to his old self, which Maddy was thankful for. He began to talk just as much before and told Maddy stories about their day each night at dinner. It seemed like a two-ton weight had been lifted off his shoulders and he was now free to live the way he wanted with them.

One day, Maddy went to the shop in town to buy some food since they were running low. When she got back, she began to make dinner for when the men returned from doing the work. They got back only a couple hours later, and Maddy was just setting the dishes out on the table.

"Hello, how was your day?"

"Fine," Mr. Summers answered. "Just the usual."

"Bobby, I got something for you when I went to the shop today." She went over to her bag and pulled out a chocolate bar. "I figured it must've been a while since you had one."

He smiled and took it from her. "I haven't had one of these in ages! Thanks, Maddy!" He pulled her into a tight hug, which Maddy happily returned. It made her smile to see how excited he got at the littlest things.

As time went on, Bobby and Maddy grew closer and closer. They started spending more and more time together and each enjoyed the other's company.

One night, when they had returned early, Maddy was just getting dinner started.

"Can I help?" Bobby asked.

Maddy smiled. "Sure. You can mash the potatoes for me." She handed him her potato masher. "All you have to do is press this on the potatoes in the pot until they are nice and soft. Try to have as little lumps as possible."

Bobby gladly took the utensil and began to do what Maddy told him. She continued to peel some carrots and cut up some vegetables to put in a salad.

"How is this?" he asked.

Maddy looked into the pot. "It's perfect. Thank you. Mr. Summers will like these. He always loves it when I make mashed potatoes."

"I love everything you make."

"Aw, thanks, Bobby. It's nice to hear you say that."

* * *

Maddy awoke to Mr. Summers putting some items in his bag.

"Are you going to the shop?" she asked drowsily.

"Yes. I'll just be gone a little while."

"Alright." She slowly woke herself up and got out of bed. Bobby still lay sleeping, so she got dressed quietly, careful not to wake him.

Maddy went for a short walk out in the forest to enjoy the beautiful sounds of nature and the fresh air the trees presented to her. She didn't get to take walks very often since she was usually busy working in the cabin, so she always cherished the times she was able to really experience the beauty of the forest. Before long, she headed back to the cabin. When she walked in the door, Bobby was on the bed with his hood pulled over his head. Her brow furrowed as she realized he was crying!

"Bobby!" she said as she went to sit next to him. She put her hand on his arm. "Hey, hey, what's wrong?"

"I woke up and you were both gone!" he cried as he sat up. "I thought you left me alone."

"Bobby, we're never going to leave you. I promise. You mean so much to us. We could never leave you." Bobby continued to cry, and she allowed him to rest his head on her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around him and gently ran her hands through his hair. "Shh, shh," she whispered. Then she began to sing the lullaby softly to him:

_Huna blentyn ar fy mynwes_

_Clyd a chynnes ydyw hon;_

_Breichiau mam sy'n dynn amdanat,_

_Cariad mam sy dan fy mron_

Bobby ceased his crying and listened to her soft voice sing to him. It was so beautiful. It was a moment neither of them ever wanted to end.

* * *

When the rain poured down, preventing the men from going about their usual business, a couple more card games ensued.

Mr. Summers took to reading a book a few hours later.

Maddy slipped outside onto the porch and took a deep breath. She loved the smell of the air during and after rain showers. It smelled so fresh and new and clean. She stepped off the porch and went out into the rain, allowing it to soak through to her very bones. She pointed her face towards the sky as the water droplets tickled it when they came in contact with her.

"What are you doing?"

She turned to find Bobby standing next to her with his sweatshirt on and the hood pulled up to block out the rain. She smiled at him. "Rainwater is so pure. As it falls from the sky, there's nothing wrong with it until it touches the ground. It's completely clean. When I stand out here, I feel like the same thing is happening to me. The rain is washing away all my faults and blemishes so that only the good remains."

They stood in silence for a second with nothing but the sound of the pitter-patter of the falling rain around them.

"Here, I'll show you." She stepped over to him and took his hood down, letting the rain dampen his hair. "Just let the water wash right through you, cleansing you."

The two of them stood there in the pouring rain, just lifting their faces up to let it drench them. Their clothes were completely soaked and they were shivering when they finally decided to head back in.

"That was fun," Bobby said as his teeth chattered.

Maddy laughed and handed him a towel. "Dry off before you catch a cold."

They changed out of their wet clothes and put on new, dry ones. Their clothes went into the laundry basket and Maddy promised to wash them the next day.

"I feel…better," Bobby told her as they sat at the table drinking some hot tea to get rid of the chill the rain had left in their bodies. "Like I have no worries at all."

"It's one thing I love about the rain. Not only does it have the power to wash away dirt and mud, but it also has the power to wash away my problems for a little while."

"Thank you…for—for showing me that."

"You're welcome."


	5. Maddy's Story

"Bobby, I want you to stay with Maddy today," Mr. Summers said as he prepared to depart. "Help her with her work."

"Oh, no, Mr. Summers, I'm fine. Honestly. You two can go on ahead," Maddy insisted.

"No, I think it would do Bobby some good to do some other work for a change."

"Alright, if you say so. We'll see you later tonight!"

Mr. Summers bid them good-bye and headed out to do his work.

"Well," Maddy said to Bobby. "I guess you can help me with the laundry."

For the next couple of hours, the two of them washed all of the clothes with soap and water and then hung them out on the fence to dry. While they waited on the clothes, they ate some lunch and then washed their dishes. They then cleaned the floor, being careful not to hurt the mice or the other inhabitants. By this time, the clothes were dry so they took them off the fence and went inside to fold them.

"Maddy," Bobby said as they folded the clothes.

"Yes?"

"How did you meet Mr. Summers?"

Maddy was about to tell him that that was a story she wasn't too keen on telling. But before she could do so, she remembered how he had told her everything about him. It was almost like she owed it to him to tell him her story. She took a deep breath and gave him a pained smile.

"I was lost in the woods. Sick. Starved. Near death, actually. I had collapsed onto the ground from exhaustion, and Mr. Summers found me. He took me back to his cabin and gave me food and nursed me back to health. When I finally got better, I begged him to let me stay because I didn't have anywhere else I could go. I told him I could work and I would help him wherever he needed it. He finally agreed, and I started cooking and cleaning for him, and sometimes helped him out with his work."

"What…What about your parents?"

Maddy's breath hitched in her throat. She hadn't talked about her family in five years. She looked up at him and could feel tears form in her eyes, despite her furious attempts to blink them back. "They…they hated me. My mom, my dad, my brother…they all hated me. And I never knew why. I still don't know why. I couldn't do anything right. Everything, everything I did was wrong in their eyes…right down to being born. And then one day, they told me to leave. And to never come back." Her voice started cracking. She crashed down onto her bed as tears traveled down her cheeks. Bobby looked at her sadly, understanding her pain.

"Why?" she said quietly. "Why? Why did they hate me?" Her voice got louder with each sentence she spoke. "What did I do that was so wrong? Why didn't they love me? Why?!" By now, she was almost screaming. "I don't know what to do! What's the matter with me?! Why can't I find someone who loves me?!"

She held her head in her hands and freely sobbed. Her body shook and a headache formed. Bobby sat down next to her and took her in his arms. She leaned her head onto him as he just held her.

Suddenly, she felt his lips on her cheek. He had placed a soft kiss right where a tear stain rested.

"I love you," he whispered gently as he rested his forehead on her temple.

Her crying eyes popped open at his words. She turned her head to look at him. "I…I think I need some air." She quickly ran out of the cabin and went to the fence. Her mind tried to process what had just happened. Maddy grasped the fence with white knuckles before sinking down onto the grass into more sobs. Never once in her entire life had she ever heard those three sweet little words come from anyone's mouth and directed at her. She knew that he meant them in a best friend kind of way, but it didn't matter. Those little words meant the world to her, even if they were not said in a romantic way. Her fingers brushed the place his lips had touched. She didn't think that Bobby knew exactly what he had just done for her.

Maddy stayed out by the fence for hours and hours, her mind replaying what had happened with Bobby over and over again. Every now and again, she would finally stop crying, but then all of the bad memories of her time with her unloving family and then Bobby's words would resurface and tears would come down her cheeks once more.

Maddy heard footsteps and put together that they belonged to Bobby since they had come from the cabin. He knelt down and could see the tear streaks that had been left behind on her cheeks. He softly touched her arm, but she made no movement at his touch. Bobby could tell she was tired and emotionally exhausted, but she didn't seem to want to move. So he slipped an arm under her knees and the other around her waist and picked her up. Maddy wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. This little act was not helping her emotional state, but at that point, she was too exhausted to do anything.

Bobby carried her back into the cabin and put her down on her bed. Then he took her blanket and put it over her.

"Good night, Maddy," Bobby whispered.

It was the last thing she remembered before sleep overcame her.

* * *

It was late at night after Bobby had gone to sleep, leaving Mr. Summers and Maddy the only ones awake.

"You know," Mr. Summers remarked. "I can see the way you look at the boy."

"What are you talking about?" Maddy asked.

"I may be an old man, but I know young love when I see it. You're head over heels in love with him."

Maddy chuckled lightly. "I don't think so."

"Don't deny it. I can see it in your eyes."

Maddy looked over at the sleeping boy. She had to admit that ever since he comforted her the day before, something had stirred inside of her. Something she couldn't quite explain.

Little did they know that Bobby was not fully asleep and overheard their entire conversation.


	6. Mr Summers's Story

There was one night when all was still. There was hardly any movement outside, and even inside, it was quiet. Maddy sat reading a book, Bobby set up some dominos, and Mr. Summers appeared to be deep in thought.

"Tell me, Bobby," Mr. Summers said, breaking them all out of their private moment. "Have you ever wondered why I live like I live and do what I do?"

Bobby turned to look at him. "Because you love the animals," he answered as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.

Mr. Summers smiled. "Yes, because I love the animals. And because I believe that they are life. Life equal to ourselves, and not in some lesser…less valuable form." There was a pause before he continued. "I also have a story."

Maddy looked up from her book abruptly. Was Mr. Summers about to tell them about his past? Never once had he shared anything like it with Maddy in the five years she had lived here. And after just a couple months with this boy, he was going to tell him?

He touched Bobby's shoulder. "I want you to listen carefully. Both of you." He looked at Maddy and she closed her book, set it down, and gave him her full attention.

He got up from the chair and started pacing around the cabin as he spoke. "First of all, there was a young man. He went straight from school to work in a bank. He worked very hard and became manager of the bank."

Bobby continued to set the dominos, but it was clear he was still listening.

"But this took a long, long, long time, and because he had been working so hard, he hadn't really had time to think about meeting people, having a girlfriend. He did eventually meet a girl, though. She was much younger than him and very beautiful. He fell in love with her. Who could blame him? It was wonderful. After all these years of nothing but work, to meet a beautiful woman who seemed to admire him so much. Like a reward."

It was clear to Maddy that Mr. Summers was referring to himself in the third person. She was stunned to learn that Mr. Summers, the hermit she had been living with for years, had fallen in love at one point.

"Then the man bought a lovely house on the edge of the town. A big house. A huge garden. They married and they moved in. Not long after this…well, the details are unimportant. He came to understand that the woman he had married was false. Deceiver."

Mr. Summers stopped talking for a while. Bobby had picked up one of his stones and put it to his mouth. He turned when he realized the man had paused.

"Mr. Summers?"

"Yes, it was around this time that he became obsessed with his new ideas about animals, and he was foolish enough to start talking about them to people he knew. His wife started to bother him about the garden. She made him do work even though she knew that he hated tearing out the wild plants and replacing them with bought ones. She made him kill to protect these new plants."

Bobby was now listening very intently with rapt attention.

"Life got worse and worse for the man. He felt ill all the time, started making bad mistakes at work. Life felt like…one long, dark, wet afternoon. He just wanted to die. But I couldn't do it, Bobby."

Maddy got up from her chair and sat next to him and took his hand in hers.

"I couldn't kill myself because I knew if I did, then it would be her killing me. And me dead is what deep down she really wanted. I couldn't give her the satisfaction. So…I killed her."

Maddy's heart skipped a beat, not daring to believe what he had just said. It wasn't possible.

"I suffocated her with a pillow."

"But you don't kill," Bobby said with wide eyes.

Mr. Summers held his head in the hand that wasn't squeezing Maddy's. "I did that time, that one time, because it had to be done."

"What about the police?" Bobby asked. "Do they know about it?"

"I don't know. They didn't find a body, that's for sure. I burnt it. And I took a great deal of money from the bank. And I ran away. Just like you, Bobby. It was the most exciting day of my life. And then I wandered around for a time, all over the country. Finally, I came here."

He took his hand out of Maddy's grasp and stood up. He went over to the wardrobe and began to move it.

"Do you want some help?" Maddy asked.

"No, I can manage," he answered. "There's something I want to show you two." He got the wardrobe out of the way, lifted up a couple floorboards, and took out a metal box. When he set it on the table and opened it, in sat thousands of pounds. Tons of pounds all stacked together.

"Is that the money you took?" Bobby asked.

"Some of it. Three more boxes like this under the wardrobe. More money than any of us will ever need."

"Enough so we can all live here forever!"

"Or some other place like it!"

"Well, that's brilliant!"

"Not quite. There's still The Fat to be considered. He's got to be dealt with somehow."

"Dealt with? You mean, kill him?"

"Kill him? No, we're not going to kill him." Mr. Summers put the lid back on and sat down. "Now that you know that money will never be a problem, how do you feel about letting The Fat have the store?"

Maddy looked to Bobby for his answer, still trying to process what exactly had just happened. It seemed all three of them shared one thing in common: they all had terrible pasts before they came to live together. Hearing the two men's stories so close together was a bit much for her to take in and her head was spinning.

"Yeah. For me, all right, I suppose. But I feel bad about my mother because I know she didn't want it that way. But if she knew I was living here, and I didn't need the store, or even the house or anything, then I think she might, um, it's all right to let it go. You know, because what she wanted was me to be happy, and that's what I am here, with you. And Maddy."

"In that case, the three of us will go to London to see this man."

Bobby frowned. "I don't know about that. I've told you what he's like. He really hates me."

Maddy understood how that felt. She would rather chew broken glass than confront her own family. She could still feel how fresh their hatred was for her.

"Look, we'll see him in his office, at the store. The staff will be there and his secretary. What could he possibly do in broad daylight in front of employees?"

Bobby gave it some thought, and then smiled. "I think it'll work! I can feel it! I think it will! You're a genius!" He gave Mr. Summers a tight hug, and this time, he allowed the boy to hug him and he returned it.

Then he wrapped Maddy in a tight hug and she happily returned it. She hadn't seen the boy so excited in a very long time, and it was refreshing to see him like that again.


	7. Confronting The Fat

The next morning, the two of them boarded a bus headed for London. Bobby was understandably quite antsy as they sat down.

"I haven't been in London in over ten years!" Mr. Summers said.

The bus ride was long and they soon went to sit in seats that had a table so they could work. Mr. Summers read the newspaper, Bobby drew pictures of different animals, and Maddy read a book.

"That's a really good drawing, Bobby," Mr. Summers remarked as he looked at Bobby's picture.

"I wish I could do that," Maddy said to him to help him feel better.

When they finally got off the bus, they hailed a cab and headed for The Fat's office. Bobby was squirming uncomfortably in his seat.

"Bobby," Mr. Summers said gently.

"I can't help it, Mr. Summers, I feel so nervous. I feel like I'm going to explode."

Maddy took his hand in hers and gave him a kind smile. "It's going to be okay."

"Maddy's right. Look, we've been over this again and again. I understand the state you're in, why you're in that state. I told you, leave it all to me."

The cab pulled up in front of a store with the word PLATT'S on top of it. Maddy released a breath as she realized that this was it. They were going to confront Bobby's step-father.

When they walked through the store, one of the employees noticed him. "Hey, it's Bobby! Bobby!"

"Hello!" Bobby said kindly. They continued their trek to the office of The Fat. When they arrived, they let his receptionist know who was there to see The Fat and she told them to sit and wait. Bobby fidgeted with his jacket the whole time, and Maddy wished she could do something to ease his anxiety.

Suddenly, the door opened and two men stepped out. "My dear Phillip, goodbye. I'll see you soon," the bald one said.

"I look forward to it. And remember, my treat next time!" the other man said as he walked away.

The bald man, who Maddy assumed was The Fat, walked over to them. "Well, well, look who's back."

He was worse than Maddy had imagined. He wore this sadistic, cocky grin, like he felt like he was the king of the world. His voice was overly smooth and sounded like he was hiding ten different levels of anger underneath it. She didn't doubt that he was capable of all the things Bobby had said he'd done or threatened to do.

"How very pleased I am to see you, Bobby. I'll just be a moment."

He turned around and walked back to his office. Bobby looked even more nervous and angry than he had before. Now even Maddy was a bit nervous. She did not like that man. Nor did she trust him.

The receptionist showed them into The Fat's office. As they stood up, Maddy gripped Bobby's hand tightly to comfort him. Or herself. She wasn't really sure at that point.

They slowly walked into the office. The Fat stood up from his chair and walked over to them.

"Maybe you are going to introduce this gentleman and this…fine young lady, Bobby."

Maddy resisted the urge to hit him. She did not appreciate being called "fine" by someone like him. The way it came out of his mouth made her squirm.

"This is Mr. Summers. And Maddy. Mr. Summers, Maddy, this is my step-father."

Mr. Summers extended his hand for The Fat to shake, but it appeared he was "too good" for that. Maddy didn't even hold out her hand for him. Even if he didn't believe he was "too good," Maddy wouldn't even want to consider their hands touching. "Please forgive me, Mr. Summers. I have to admit this is taking me by surprise. I began to think I might never see Bobby again."

_And never would be too soon,_ Maddy thought.

"Of course I am most grateful to you for bringing him back to me. Please do sit down."

The Fat sat back down in his chair while the two men sat in front of him and Maddy sat to the side.

"In fact, you're mistaken," Mr. Summers told the bald man. "I haven't brought Bobby back. He wanted to come back. He has some matters that he wants to sort out with you. I'm here to help him."

The Fat lit a cigar and began smoking it. Maddy hid her grimace at the terrible smell. She let out a small cough, but tried to hide it, unwilling to provoke the judgmental eye of The Fat.

"Help him?" The Fat said almost condescendingly. "In what capacity, may I ask?"

"Nothing official. Please regard me as a concerned friend."

"Friend? I assume Bobby has been telling you both stories. He has a lively imagination. People tend not to take him too seriously."

"I take him seriously," Maddy said, the words coming out meaner than she had intended. Mr. Summers glared at her, silently telling her to be quiet. Bobby looked at her with a pained smile that she returned. She sighed and leaned back into the chair she was sitting on. This was not starting off well.

"But he has told us certain things, yes."

"And?"

"And we're inclined to take him seriously."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning I do believe that I can solve the problem of Bobby for you."

"Exactly how do you propose to do that, Mr. Summers?"

"Well, Bobby has been living with Maddy and I in Cornwall since the beginning of the summer. He has told me that he is happy and that he would like to stay on indefinitely. He has been very helpful to me in my work. He's also been a great help to Maddy."

"Really? Is this true?" he asked Bobby.

"Yes, it's true," Bobby answered quietly. "I've been working with Mr. Summers and Maddy. They've been very kind to me and I haven't felt ill at all. Not really. Well, quite different from how I felt before."

"Good heavens, the boy can speak," The Fat said. Maddy clenched her hands into tight fists. She hated this man. Perhaps even more than her own family if that was possible. He looked down on others quickly. She could only imagine the judgments passing through his head about her and Mr. Summers. It inflamed her that he acted as if Bobby was some kind of invalid. Just because he was a little slow did not mean that he was incapable of doing things that everyone else could do. He had proven time and time again that he was more capable to do things than a lot of other people were.

"Congratulations, Mr. Summers. Your ministrations have clearly born fruit. But why come to me for permission? Bobby's a grown-up. He can do as he pleases."

"The fact of the matter is that Bobby became very anxious after he met Mr. Whiteside on the beach. He was worried that once his whereabouts were known, you might decide to come looking for him. Well, it was bothering him so much that I suggested to him that he come back on his own accord, and tell you exactly what his new circumstances were."

"And?"

"Well, then he told me that he was prepared to consider the possibility of transferring the ownership of _Platts_…to you. On certain conditions, of course."

"Is that it?"

"Yes. Yes, I believe so."

Maddy looked at Bobby and saw him about ready to sneeze, but he held it back, putting his hand to his nose to suppress it. She guessed the cigar smoke was forcing a sneeze to come on. It was certainly hurting her lungs.

The Fat swiveled his chair and ever so slowly walked over to Bobby. Bobby chose that time to release his built-up sneeze, and sprayed The Fat in the process. Maddy closed her eyes and sighed. That was not going to help their case.

"You idiot," The Fat said as he wiped up the spray.

Maddy's hands curled tighter. She wanted nothing more than to beat that stupid man senseless for calling him an idiot and for pretty much everything he had caused Bobby to go through before she had met him. He was cruel, judgmental, and hard-hearted.

"Give me _Platts_? I've got _Platts. Platts_ is mine. Your running away made that possible. And now you're back, you pathetic moron."

Alright, that was it for both Maddy and Mr. Summers. They both stood up as The Fat grabbed Bobby's arm.

"What did you call him?" Maddy spat.

"Hey, stop that!" Mr. Summers yelled. "Leave him alone!"

"Leave him alone? You leave him alone, you disgusting pervert."

"Don't you dare—" Maddy began, but Mr. Summers held up his hand to cut her off.

"Human rubbish," he said. "Unspeakable human rubbish!"

The Fat grabbed Mr. Summers by the throat and lifted him up off the floor, choking him, much to Maddy and Bobby's horror.

"Get off him!" they both screamed. The Fat pushed Bobby away and whacked Maddy on the face with his free hand, sending her to the floor.

"Maddy!" Bobby cried going over to her. A small purple bruise began to form on her cheek.

The Fat released Mr. Summers, and he crumpled to the floor. Then The Fat kicked him twice extremely hard in the stomach.

"Mr. Summers! Mr. Summers!" Bobby and Maddy crawled over to the injured man. He was groaning and short of breath. Bobby took him up in his arms carefully and Maddy grabbed his hand.

"Listen to me," The Fat said. "Do exactly as I say. One noise, one twitch, that would arouse anyone's suspicion, and your Mr. Summers is finished. And once I'm done with him, I'll take care of the girl as well. Do you understand?"

Maddy looked up at him. This man was the definition of evil. Pure evil.

Bobby nodded his head.

"Get him up."

Maddy and Bobby took Mr. Summers and propped one arm around each of their shoulders.

"Janet?" The Fat said into his phone. "I need the car, at the back. Straightaway. Mr. Summers isn't well. I'm taking him to accident and emergency."

"Should I call the hospital?" the woman asked on the other end.

"No need to fuss. I'll call you later."

Bobby and Maddy followed The Fat to his awaiting car. Mr. Summers could not even walk because of what the man had done to him. The Fat opened the door and the three of them got into the backseat.

"Are we taking him to a hospital?" Bobby asked as The Fat got into the driver's seat.

"Hardly necessary," The Fat responded shortly.

"He needs a doctor!" Maddy insisted.

"He's hurt," Bobby added.

"I think I've changed my mind about Cornwall. Maybe I should let you and Mr. Summers and Maddy play house after all. I'd like to see where you've been hiding all these weeks. Is it hard to find?"

"No, I can find it," Bobby answered.

They drove the very, very long way back to the cabin and by the time the car got off the highway, night had fallen. Mr. Summers's condition got worse and worse in the backseat. The man was barely conscious and his breathing was severely labored.

"He's all right," The Fat said. "He's sleeping like a baby. Can you find his place from here?"

Bobby remained silent.

"Well, can you get us there from here?"

Bobby still did not say anything in response.

"If you don't tell me, I'll just have to make the girl tell me, won't I?"

"No!" Bobby exclaimed quickly. He proceeded to give The Fat directions back to the cabin. The car was forced to stop when the path got too narrow. Maddy and Bobby took Mr. Summers out of the backseat and propped him over their shoulders once more for the trek back to the cabin. He proved to be heavy, but they all eventually made it back. The two of them placed Mr. Summers on his bed, and then Bobby lit the lanterns to give them some light.

"Charming little place, isn't it?" The Fat remarked. "Is there anything to drink?"

"Mr. Summers's whiskey. It's in there."

"Get it for me then!"

_Get it yourself!_ Maddy wanted to yell at him, but for obvious reasons, she held her tongue.

Bobby got the whiskey and a glass for him and waited for The Fat to pour himself some. Then Bobby took the whiskey and poured another glass and brought it over to Mr. Summers. He gently lifted up his head and made him drink the liquid.

Mr. Summers coughed and a small trickle of blood ran down the side of his mouth. As Bobby wiped it away, it was then that Maddy realized the full extent of his injuries. He was bleeding internally. If he didn't get medical attention soon, the results would be terrible.

Bobby rested his head on Mr. Summers and began to cry over him. Maddy felt tears pool in her eyes at not only the sight of the poor boy in such a weak state, but also over the fact that Mr. Summers…was dying.


	8. Bobby Tricks The Fat

Bobby fell asleep over Mr. Summers while Maddy slept propped up on his bed. It was very early when she awoke to The Fat calling the gorgeous noises of nature a racket.

"Well, it's light now. Is there a spade here?" When Bobby didn't answer, he asked again more forcefully, "Is there a spade here?"

"Why?" Bobby asked, slowly waking up.

"I want a hole dug, that's why."

"What for?"

"What's the matter? You can dig, can't you?"

"I can bury things."

"Can you? Where's the bloody spade?"

"There's one outside by the lavatory."

The Fat left to go retrieve it. Mr. Summers coughed and more blood came out of his mouth.

"Please stay awake," Bobby cried. "I love you. Don't die. Please don't die. You can't die! What would I do without you?"

Tears pricked at Maddy's eyes as she watched Bobby cry over him

Suddenly, Mr. Summers spoke. "Don't let him destroy you, Bobby," he mustered out. "Don't let him destroy—" He stopped speaking for a moment as the pain evidently got too intense. "Trick him. Trap him. Kill him. He would do it."

Mr. Summers was breaking his rule. There came a time when one had to realize when the limits had been crossed and this was one of those times.

Bobby took his face in his hands, getting red blood on them and nodded. Maddy knelt down next to him and rubbed circles on his back as he cried. The Fat returned and Bobby sat up and wiped his eyes. He looked over at Maddy.

"Do it," she whispered firmly.

He went outside to dig the hole The Fat wanted. The Fat forced Maddy to go on the porch with him to watch Bobby dig. He didn't trust her staying in there with the old man. Maddy watched him dig, his brow furrowed as he must've been deep in thought as he dug. She wanted to help him, but when she tried, The Fat stopped her, saying he had to do it himself. When he finished the hole, The Fat commanded him to dig another. It took hours, but the holes got done.

"That's enough," The Fat said to Bobby. "I'm thirsty."

_Why are you thirsty?_ Maddy screamed in her mind. _You didn't even do anything! You just sat there on your big, fat, lazy butt while Bobby did all the work!_

Bobby was soaked in sweat from the hard work he had put into digging the holes. He quickly rushed back to Mr. Summers's side while The Fat got another glass of whiskey.

There was a small croaking sound and they turned to find a small toad at the door. When they looked at The Fat, he was leaning back in his chair…nervously.

"It's just a toad," Bobby smiled. "It's a toad. It's harmless." He walked over to the little creature. "There's nothing to be scared of. Look. I can pick it up." He gently took the toad in his hands and walked over to The Fat who leaned back even further. "It wouldn't hurt anyone. Look!" The Fat gasped as the toad dropped in front of him and he sprang up from the chair. Maddy noticed that he was holding a wound-up dishtowel. Was he…? He had been planning on strangling Bobby! Maddy silently blessed the little toad for preventing The Fat from doing such a horrid thing. The Fat took a broom and prepared to sweep the toad out, but Maddy grabbed it before he could do so.

"No! Don't! I'll take care of it!" she cried out. The Fat dropped the broom and then went after Bobby.

"Stop!" Bobby yelled after he had been cornered. "There's money! There's lots and lots of money!"

"Money? What money?"

"Mr. Summers's money. The money that he had. There's lots of it!"

"How much? 50 pounds? 100 pounds? I suppose you think 100 pounds is a great deal of money."

"There's thousands of it!" Maddy exclaimed. "He's not lying! It's…it's under the wardrobe."

"Go get it then," The Fat told Bobby.

Maddy went to the door to release the toad she was still holding. "Thanks, little guy," she whispered as she held up the toad to her eye level. "You saved his life." She put the toad down and gave it a gentle nudge to get him to hop away.

She went back inside and helped Bobby move the wardrobe, then Bobby used his knife to lift up the floorboards and retrieve the metal box.

"It's locked. The key. Where's the key?"

"It's on Mr. Summers's key ring," Bobby answered.

The Fat unlocked the box and gasped at the money before him.

"There's more," Maddy told him.

"More?"

"Mr. Summers says there's three more boxes," Bobby said. "Down there. Right under the floor."

"I hope you're right." He got down on his stomach and began to search for the other boxes. "Can't you help me?"

Maddy watched as Bobby grabbed the knife Mr. Summers had bought for him and made a long deep slice on the back of The Fat's neck. Blood poured from the wound. The Fat screamed as red blood tainted his white suit. Bobby grabbed Maddy's hand and ran out of the cabin and down the path. They kept running and running and soon The Fat's car gave chase behind them. Bobby never let go of her hand as he kept running all over the fields. They came across an old stone building and ran into it to hide.

Bobby gripped Maddy's hand tightly while they crouched out of sight as they heard The Fat's car come up to the building. Bobby picked up a stone and threw it with all his might at The Fat's windshield, shattering it. The Fat punched a hole through the cracked glass so he could see. Bobby started screaming and kicking the car with his feet and taking stones and beating the hood of it viciously.

He then ran back to Maddy, grabbed her hand, and took off again. They ran down to a ledge where a square of wood was blocked by barbed wire.

"Do not move until I do. No matter what," Bobby said quietly to her. She nodded at him, beginning to understand his plan.

The car came down the hill and stopped right in front of them and crept closer and closer towards them.

Bobby and The Fat stared each other down. Suddenly, The Fat pushed down hard on the gas pedal and sped towards them. Bobby waited until the very last second, then he wrapped his arm around Maddy's waist and roughly pulled her to the side with him. The car rammed through the barbed wire and sank down on the wood. They watched as the car sank lower and lower and more of the wood broke under its weight. Then the car fell through the hole with a loud bang and a puff of smoke. Bobby crawled toward the hole and threw a stone down it to see how deep it was. It took a long time for the stone to hit the car at the bottom. There was no way he could've survived that fall. The Fat was dead.

Bobby collapsed on to the ground in heaving breaths. Then he slowly stood up and backed away from the hole. He went back over to Maddy and helped her off the ground. She gently put her arms around his neck in a loose hug.

When she released him, Bobby looked up to the sun and smiled at the warmth on his face.

"You did it," Maddy breathed.

They both took off in a sprint back to the cabin to check on Mr. Summers.

"Mr. Summers! Mr. Summers, we're back!" Bobby called. There was no response or movement from the man lying on the bed. "Mr. Summers. We're back." Bobby's face fell and tears pooled in both his and Maddy's eyes. "Can you hear me? We're back."

Nothing.

"His injuries must've been too severe," Maddy said as a tear trickled down her cheek.

Bobby took Mr. Summers's hand in his and cried. The two of them sat on the floor and cried together for a very long time. They held each other and comforted each other, reminding themselves that the person who did this was gone.

Together, they buried him in one of the holes The Fat had made Bobby dig and more tears were shed.

Bobby took some money and put it into his bag. Then he took the rest and buried it in the other hole.

"We should leave. People will come looking for The Fat."

"One more night," Maddy whispered.

Bobby nodded and the two of them stayed in the cabin and ate small things from the cabinets. Neither had the motivation to make any food.


	9. Bobby and Maddy

The next day, it was pouring rain again, so they decided to wait until it stopped before they got moving.

When Bobby awoke, he went out to the porch and saw Maddy standing out in the middle of the rain by the spot where they had buried Mr. Summers.

"Maddy," Bobby said gently.

She looked at him with tears coming down her cheeks as fast as the rain that surrounded them. "Why did he have to die?!" she screamed. "He didn't deserve it! He…He was the family I never got! Why did he have to leave us?! Why?!"

Bobby attempted to put his arm around her shoulders, but she swatted him off. He looked at her with wide eyes. When he made another attempt to put his arm around her, she punched his arm away and then hit his chest over and over again, screaming as she did so. Bobby tried to grab her flailing arms before she seriously hurt him. Her punches came in weaker spurts and she began sobbing. Bobby caught her in a huge hug and she grasped onto him tightly, her head resting on his shoulder. Her body shook again with her sobs and her breathing came in short gasps as she stood there in Bobby's embrace.

"I miss him! I miss him so much!" she sobbed.

He leaned in close to her. "Let the water wash right through you, cleansing you," he whispered. "The water washes away all the bad so only the good is left."

Maddy looked at him as he repeated the words she had spoken to him when they had stood outside in the rain together. With tears still spilling out of her eyes, she took Bobby's head in her hands and pressed her lips to his. They stood there kissing passionately in the pouring rain. The simple act made the first stitch in mending their broken hearts.

"I love you," she whispered to him when they broke apart.

He kissed her cheek, tasting the mixture of the pure rainwater and her salty tears. "I know. I heard Mr. Summers talk to you about it."

Maddy's eyes widened. He had been awake for that?

"And I love you too," he whispered back as he rested his forehead on hers.

He said it differently than before. This time, he meant it in a romantic way, and it made those three precious little words mean so much more to her. She felt more tears spring to her stinging eyes as she saw that she had someone to love her more than her family ever did.

"I have ever since you sang that song to me."

Maddy pressed her lips to his again and kissed him even more passionately than the last.

In that moment, they could feel Mr. Summers watching them, smiling.

* * *

**If you read to the very end, bless you! 3 I hope you liked this!  
**


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